Harvest Come

Order of Service

• Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
• Call to Worship — Psalm 103:1-22
• Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin
• Assurance of Pardon — 1 John 2:1-2
• Scripture Reading — Luke 19:1-10
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — O God of Love, O King of Peace
• Sermon
• Lord's Supper
• Hymn — Behold the Lamb (verses 1–2)
• Prayer of Thanksgiving
• Distribution of Bread
• Distribution of Cup
• Hymn — Behold the Lamb (verses 3–4)
• Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
• Doxology

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Sermon Title: Harvest Come

Scripture: John 4:27-42

I. The Harvest Realized Through the Entrance of Jesus

A. The disciples urge a tired and hungry Jesus to eat, but Jesus declares his true food is to do the will of the Father and accomplish his work (John 4:31-34)

B. Jesus draws on a familiar Jewish proverb — "four months until the Harvest" — and declares the fields are already white for harvest, because the Reaper himself has arrived (John 4:35)

C. Jesus's declaration alludes to Deuteronomy 8:3 — man does not live by bread alone — the same words he speaks to Satan after 40 days of fasting, mirroring Israel's 40 years in the wilderness

1. Immediately after this, Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18-19) and announces the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17)
2. The Harvest extends beyond Israel — to Samaria and to the ends of the earth, to those sitting in darkness in Naphtali and Zebulun, the Galilee of the Gentiles

D. When Jesus speaks of disciples reaping where they did not labor, this refers to John the Baptist and the entire Old Covenant economy that prepared the way

1. The writer of Hebrews says the Old Testament saints did not receive what was promised — they sowed but did not see the full fruit (Hebrews 11:39-40)
2. Their labors are perfected and fulfilled in the New Covenant ministry that dawns with Christ
3. The sower and the reaper rejoice together — Old Testament saints and New Covenant believers share in the same Harvest (John 4:36)

E. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 functions like a great hall of legacy — we are inspired to join that family, reaping what they labored to sow, and to one day rejoice together with Abraham, Moses, and David over the Harvest

II. The Harvest Realized Through the Exposure by Jesus

A. The Samaritan woman's testimony — "come see a man who told me all that I ever did" — is the instrument that causes many Samaritans to believe (John 4:29, John 4:39)

B. Jesus did not literally tell her everything she had done; rather, he entered her personal space — exposing her shame, her five husbands, and her current unlawful relationship — penetrating the secret life she carried

1. In first-century Judaism, divorce was easily granted by the man; the woman may have carried both sin-shame and the shame of being unwanted and discarded
2. Even the disciples were shocked that Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman — she was doubly marginalized

C. The culture encourages us to present only our best selves — through daily niceties and social media — but this masks the reality that every person bears a story of heartache, guilt, sin, and shame

D. The woman does not flee in shame but drops her water jar and runs to her neighbors with joy — exposure by Christ is not like exposure by the world

1. The world exposes in order to devour and destroy
2. Christ exposes in order to prepare the heart to receive the living water of the Spirit that wells up into eternal life (John 4:14)
3. It is a sour-but-sweet, joyful gospel pain — it hurts, but it opens the heart wide to receive Christ and walk as a new creation

E. Kingdom Harvest is filled with souls exposed not before a devouring world, but before Christ — a joyous exposure that leads to new life

III. The Harvest Realized Through an Encounter with Jesus

A. The Samaritans first believe because of the woman's testimony, but after two days with Jesus they declare: "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world" (John 4:42)

1. There is a belief that comes through testimony, and a deeper belief that comes through personal encounter with Christ

B. It is an American Evangelical tendency to rely on the powerful testimonies of others — treating them like inspirational stories — and to allow the testimony to replace the word of God as the primary instrument of the Harvest

C. Powerful testimonies from church history — Augustine, Luther, John Newton — can become a crutch: we say "that is my God, the God of Augustine," rather than asking whether he is our God personally

1. The Psalter functions similarly: David's specific experiences of God's deliverance become the common song of all God's people, as David invites the reader to come and join in the praise — as Philip says to Nathanael, "Come and see" (John 1:46)

D. We must read powerful testimonies, past and present — but when we close the book, we must get on our knees and have our own encounter with Christ

1. The goal is to move from spectator to participant — to be able to say with the Samaritans: "Come and see for yourself; come and taste with me that the Lord is good"
2. The Harvest is not just for them — it is for you; the God who saved a wretch like Newton saves a wretch like me